Interrupter for electromagnets.



J. BRICKSON. INTERR-UPTER FOR ELEOTROMAGNBTSi APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1906.

PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

v To all whom, zit maycovicernr i is open when the armature 1s 1n its fully-atthe magnet, aspring-latch for normally hold- 'tromagnets for operatin' an idle line, the provision of an improved con- UNITED srArns PATENT orrron.

JOHN ERIOKSOMiOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC OOMPANY, .OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lmgz anopyzn, FIIORQEJLEQTROMAGNETS.

" lgpecificationof'Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Ap etite]; lehrusry g,1906,2Sdrial'il'o. 299,326;

B a known that mass: meKsesjaje-aizen of the United States of America, an'da res1dent of Chicago, Cook'county,- I:llinois,

have invented a certain newand useful Im-.--

p! emnt in Interrupters for Electromag+ nets, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionrelates to interrupters for electromagnets'in general, but moreparticu larly to interrupters for use in connection" With electromagnets forcperating any suit able step-by-step switches", "and especially to interrupters for use in connection with elecautomatic tele-' phone-line-selecting switc 'essuch, for eX- am le, as automatic trunk-selectors.

enerally stated, the object of my invention' is. the provision of an improved and highly efficient interrupter for electromagnets.

Special obj ectsof my invention are the pro vision'ot an improved-and simplified interrupter forthe electromagnets of automatic telephone-selecting switches, the provision of an improved construction and arrangement for enabling the so-called rotary magnet of a telephone-selector to. interruptor alternately open and close its own energizing-circuit, and to cE-iitinue this action as long as the said circuit remains closed at all other points, whereby the said selector autonlatically continues in operation until it finds struction and arrangement for interrupting the flow of energizing-current through an electromagnet, involving a switch cont-rolling the circuit of thegelectromagnet, a springlatch f or normally holding said switch closed, and means carried by the magnet-armature for operating said latch, whereby the switch tracted osition, and whereby the switch is closed w en the armature is in-its normal or fully-retracted position, the provision of an improved current-interrupter for magnets, involving .a switch in the energizing-circuit of ing the switch closed, and a 'roller actuated by the magnet-armature and adapted for operating said spring-latch, whereby the switchis opened by the attraction of the aims-- ture and closed by't'he retractive movement ,of the armature, and the provision of certain I however, it will be seen shaft and the armature of said magnet.

" details and features of improvement tending Ito-increase the general efiiciency and serviceabilityof a device of this particular character. Broadly considered, my improved inter- 'rnpter can be applied to electromagnets for operating various devic'es.that is to say, it

can be applied tozelectrcmagnets employed for various purposes. In certain respects, that my invention is in the nature-of an improvement on the interruptercoVered by Letters Patent 831,875

granted to Alexander E. Keith on the 25th day of September, 1906, for im rovement in interrupter for automatic telep one or other switches.

n I To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists" in matters hereinafter set "forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a selector-switch,

showing the so-c'alled rotary magnetand interrupter therefor embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts and devices shown in Fig. 1, showing also inhorizontal cross-section the rotatable selector-switch shaft, together with the ratchet-and pawl' connection between said Fig.

3 is a detail plan view showing the interrupter parts in a different position. Fig 4 is a simplified'diagram of the circuit arrangement of the said magnet and interrupter and,

indicating the manner in which a relay or switch operating magnet or other similar device is employed for controlling the energizingcircuit of said magnet at a point therein other than the point at which the same is controlled by the interrupter itself.

As thus illustrated, the frame A, the socalled rotary magnet B, the shaft 0, together with the magnet-armature D, and the pawl and ratchet-teeth E and F, as well as all other essential elements of the switching-machine as a whole, may, with the exception, of course, of the interrupter itself, be substantially of thegeneral type disclosed in Patent No. 815,321 granted March 13, 1906, to Keith and Erickson. As in said prior patent, thesaid armature is pivoted at (1, so as toivibrate bya spring (1. The pawl is carried by the about a vertical axis, and is retracted or held f in its normal position awa%from themagnet V armature finger d, is pivotally mounted" thereon, and controlled by. a small spring d applied thereto; The pin e guides the pawl 'out of engagement with the teethwhen the armature is released or retracted, while the stop or guide pin e serves to limit-the for-- ward rotation of the'shaft, (by engaging the pawl at the limit of the forward stroke there- I of,) and thus prevents the shaft from rotating more than one step at a time. The rotary magnet or shaft-propelling magnet B is secured to the frame in any suitable or desired manner.

As illustrated, my improved interrupter com rises a spring-switch composed of the serves as a spring-latch for keeping the switch normally closed. Near its free end the said spring J is provided with a bend or hump j; The armature D is provided with an'interrupter-finger K, having a' roller 7c, suitably mounted at its free or distal end. This roller is preferably of rubber or other insulating material and is adapted to engage the inner surface of the spring J, as shown in Figs..2 and 3. Normally, therefore, the said roller engages the spring J at a point between the latters end and the said hump j, as shown in Fig. 2; but when the armature is attracted the said roller rides up the incline provided by the said hump, as shown in Fig. 3. This forwarder attractive movement of the armature causes the roller to press the springlatch J outward, and the parts are so proportioned that the end of the spring J does not disengage from the spring armature strikes the pole-pieces of the magnetthat is to say, not until after the armat-ure reaches the limit of its forward stroke. In'this way the circuit through: the magnet is not interrupted until after the-armature has been fully attracted, and in this way not until after the switch-shaft C has been given a full and complete rotary step. In other words, it is obvious that should the circuit be inter- .rupted too soon there would then be some danger of the armature failing to give the shaft a complete rotary step. mature fully attracted the interrupter parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3. The circuit then being open the magnet loses its attractive power and the spring 11 restores the armature to its normal position. During this restoring or retractive movement of the armature the roller 7c rides down the incline on the spring 5.. This backward movement of the roller'movesthe. end of the spring H n V d spring-latch for keeping saidswltchnormally aliong the inner surface'of the' spring J, an

H until after thethe movement continuing the spring J is finally disengaged and allowed to spring back.

into the position which it occupies in Fig; 2.

the continuity of the circuit be not restored Obviously, however, it is also desirable that until after the armature has fully regained.

its normal position, or at least not until after the pawl E has been fully disengaged from the ratchetteeth carried by the switchshaft, For this reason the end of the spring movement of the armature reach the end of 1 H does not during the retractlve or restormg the spring J until after the pawl has been fully disengaged from the ratchet-teeth. In this way the requisite current condition is maintained in the electromagnet B until the end of the stroke of the armature in either direction.

Any suitable device may be employed for controlling the energizing-circuit of the said magnet B at all other points, or at any other.

point except that at which the current-flow is cont rolled bythe said interrupter. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the electromagnet L may be the so-called private magnet-of a well-known form-of selector, or it may be a relay or any other suitable electromagnet.- In the type of selector indicated this electromagnet L is energized while the private wiper on' the shaft is passing over busy contacts; Consequently the energizing-circuit of the magnet B remains closed until an idle trunkline is found but while the inagnet L is energized the contacts I are closed together and current flows from the grounded pole 1 of the battery 2 through the ground 3, through of the interrupter, and through the windings the said magnet will be given an intermittent the said battery. VVit-h this arrangement energizing and its. arn'iature a rapid vibra tion until the magnet L is denergized by the arrival of the said wiper upon the non-busy contact. Obviously, however, as previously stated, my improved interrupter can be used for many purposes other than the automatic selection of an automatic telephone-exchange trunk-line.

The spring G is substantially a stationary contact, although preferably the adjustment is such that this spring is normally under slight tension, and in this way it follows the spring II a short distance when the latter is disengaged or released by the latch. In this way the interrupter is adapted not to open the circuit before the armature reaches the limitof its forward stroke, for thearmature reaches the ole-pieces and the spring H is disengaged fiefo re a separation occurs between the two-springs.

What I claim as my invention is 'said contacts, through the contacts Gand H I 1'. The combination of an electromagnet,

closed, means carried by the armature and adapted to operate said latch, a' source of current, and an energizing circuit for said i magnet includingsaid switchand source of current, together with an electromagnetic device for controlling said circuit, whereby said electromagnet alternately opens and closes its own circuit as long as the f ame re-i mains closed at. all other points. 2.-- The combination of. an electromagnet,

an armature therefor, an arm on said arma ture, a spring-switch, a sprmglatch'for nor-- mally holding said switch closed, and an energizing-circuit for said magnet, said 011'- cuit including said spring-switch, said arm I adapted to operate saids rinQj-Vlatch, whereby, said magnet alternate y opens and closes its own energizmg-circuit as long as the same remains closed at all other points' 3. The combination of an 'electromagnct, i an armature therefor, a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism operated "bysaid. armature, a spring-switch, a latchpfor'normally holding said switch closed, and an armcarriedby said armature and adapted for operatinglsaid latch, together with an energizing-circuit for said magnet,. said circuit including said spring-switch, whereby the said magnet yibrates its armature as long as said circuit remains closed at all said spring-switch.

4. The combination of an electromagnet, an armature therefor, a spring rswitch, a latch for normally holding said switch closed,

- an arm carried by said armature,"and a" roll carried at the end of said arm,"togetherwith an energizing-circuit for said-magnet including said spring-switch, said roll, adapted to operate the' atch to, open said switch,r and adapted directly to operate .the switch to close and restore the same in latched condition.

points other than at ,the

- switch. I

5. The combination of an electi'oinagnet, an armature therefor, a switch adapted when released to open of its own accord, a latch for normally holding the switch closed, an arm carried by the armature and adapted for operating said latch, and an energizing-circuit for'saidimagnet, said 1 circuit including said switch, said arm adapted to operate the latch to open the switch, an d adapted directly to engage and operate the switch to closeand restore the'same to latched condition.

6., The combination of an electromagnet,

. an armature therefor, an arm secured to said armature, a roll mountei at the end of said arm, a. switch consisting of two contacts whereof one is adaptedof its own accord to spring awayfrom the other, a spring mounted at one end and adapted to engage said springy switch-contact with its other end,

said spring having a hump between its mounted end and its. free end, said roll adapted toengage said hump and press the spring out of engagement with said springy gage said springy swit :h-contact to close the switch and restore the said spring to normal position.

7. The combination of an electromagnet,

an armature thereior," a' spring-switch adapted when released to open of its own accor d,-spring-meansfor holding the switch -Signed Illinois, this 1st day Witnesses:

E. D. FALEs, C. J. Emonsor .65 'switchcontact, and adapted directly to en- I 

